Yuriy Sedykh was an athlete who represented the Soviet Union from 1976 to 1991 in the hammer throw. He is widely considered to be the greatest male hammer thrower in history, breaking the world record six times and winning major honours across a time span of fifteen years. He was an Olympic champion, World champion and an European champion.
Sedykh’s world record of 86.74 m (284 ft 6 in) at Stuttgart, West Germany on August 30, 1986 has not been surpassed during the last 36 years. His world record is the second-longest standing men’s world record in track and field. Only the men’s discus world record has stood longer, and by a mere 85 days.
At the Olympic Games of Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980, he won gold medals in hammer throw and at Seoul 1988 Olympic Games, a silver medal. At the World Championships, he won a gold in Tokyo 1991 and a silver at Helsinki 1983. He also took the first place at the 1986 Goodwill Games.
He was the European Champion at Prague 1978, Athens 1982, and Stuttgart 1986. Unlike many throwers, Sedykh employed three rotations rather than four. He often practiced with lighter and heavier hammers. His technique was based on ‘pushing’ the ball left and letting the hammer turn him. He was 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) in height and weighed 110 kg (243 lb).
Birth and Career
Yuriy Georgiyevich Sedykh was born in Novocherkassk, Rostov Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, on June 11, 1955 and grew up in Nikopol, Ukraine. He started track and field in 1967 under coach Vladimir Ivanovich Volovik. He trained at Burevestnik and later at the Armed Forces sports society in Kyiv, attaining the rank of Major in the Soviet Army.
From 1972 he was coached by Anatoliy Bondarchuk, who is widely regarded as one of the best hammer throw coaches in the world. In 1973, he became a member of the USSR National Junior Team.
Sedykh won his first major title at the Montreal 1976 Olympics, and he maintained this form into the early 1990s, completing the set of major titles at the 1991 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo at the age of thirty-six and recording his last 80-metre plus throw in 1994.
Sedykh successfully defended his Olympic title on home soil at Moscow 1980 and remains one of just three athletes to successfully defend their title. He would have started as the favourite for a hat-trick in Los Angeles but the Eastern Bloc boycott of the 1984 Olympic Games deprived him of the chance of emulating John Flanagan, who won three successive titles between 1900 and 1908.
Sedykh did have the chance of winning a third Olympic title in Seoul 1988, but he had to settle for silver behind Litvinov. However, his silver-medal winning throw of 83.76m was far more than his gold medal-winning throws in 1976 (77.52m) and 1980 (81.80m).
His final hurrah came at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo where he won gold with 81.80m and even though he did not compete in a major event again - he just missed out on selection at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona which he described as one of the biggest lows of his career - Sedykh still competed at a high level into the mid-1990s.
Sedykh’s career had an impressive longevity, with 15 years between his first Olympic gold and 1991 World title. He retired two years later and moved on to coaching. Sedykh coached French hammer throwers, for example Nicolas Figere (80.88 m).
Six World Records
Sedykh is remembered just as much for his exploits. The sixth world record of Sedykh’s career in 1986 remains on the books 36 years later. He won three successive titles between 1978 and 1986 at the European Athletics Championships, the latter in a legendary duel in Stuttgart with his training partner Sergey Litvinov who was said to have broken the 87-metre barrier in training ahead of the championships.
Litvinov smashed Sedykh’s championship record in the first round in Stuttgart with a massive throw of 85.74m. Sedykh put the pressure on Litvinov with improving marks of 85.28m and 85.46m in the second and third rounds before the reigning champion forged over the 86-metre line on his fourth attempt which landed at 86.74m.
Sedykh produced by far the greatest series in event history, concluding his final with near identical throws of 86.68m and 86.62m, respectively. All six of his throws in the final were valid and his six throws averaged out at 85.78m, a mark only surpassed by Litvinov as well as Sedykh himself.
“On that day, everything came together: my mood, my physical fitness, my ambition, the competition, the sector, the fans and the weather,” said Sedykh reflecting on his triumph in Stuttgart which was featured in European Athletics’ 50 Golden Moments series in 2020 to celebrate 50 years of European Athletics.
The IAAF ratified six world records by Yuriy Sedykh: 80.38 m (263 ft 8 in) at Leselidse, Soviet Union on May 16, 1980; 80.64 m (264 ft 6 in) at Leselidse, Soviet Union on May 16, 1980; 81.80 m (268 ft 4 in) in Moscow, Soviet Union on July 31, 1980; 86.34 m (283 ft 3 in) at Cork, Ireland on July 3, 1984; 86.66 m (284 ft 3 in) at Tallinn, Soviet Union on June 22, 1986; 86.74 m (284 ft 6 in) at Stuttgart, West Germany on August 30, 1986.
Montreal 1976 Olympic Games
The men’s hammer throw at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada took place on July 26 - 28. There were twenty competitors from thirteen nations. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by Yuriy Sedykh of the Soviet Union, the nation’s second consecutive and fourth overall victory in the men’s hammer throw.
The Soviets swept the medals, with Aleksey Spiridonov taking silver and defending champion Anatoliy Bondarchuk earning bronze. It was the third medal sweep in the men’s hammer throw (the United States had done it in 1900 and 1904).
This was the 17th appearance of the event, which has been held at every Summer Olympics except 1896. Seven of the 20 finalists from the 1972 Games returned: gold medallist Anatoliy Bondarchuk of the Soviet Union, silver medallist Jochen Sachse of East Germany, seventh-place finisher Edwin Klein of West Germany, eighth-place finisher Shigenobu Murofushi of Japan, tenth-place finisher Karl-Hans Riehm of West Germany, seventeenth-place finisher Peter Sternad of Austria, and nineteenth-place finisher Jacques Accambray of France.
The Soviets and West Germans were favoured, particularly Yuriy Sedykh and Karl-Hans Riehm. New Zealand made its debut in the event. The United States appeared for the 17th time, the only nation to have competed at each appearance of the event to that point.
The competition consisted of two rounds, qualification and final. Each athlete received three throws in the qualifying round. All who achieved the qualifying distance of 69.00 metres progressed to the final. Each finalist was allowed three throws in last round, with the top eight athletes after that point being given three further attempts.
Prior to the competition, the records that existed were - World Record 79.30 by Walter Schmidt of FRG in Frankfurt, West Germany on August 14, 1975; Olympic Record of 75.50 by Anatoliy Bondarchuk of URS at Munich, West Germany on September 7, 1972.
Yuriy Sedykh had throws of 75.64, 77.52, 75.58 and 76.40. He broke the Olympic record with his second throw of the final, at 77.52 metres. That throw was unbeaten through the rest of the competition.
The Olympic Medallists: Gold - Yuriy Sedykh of Soviet Union with 77.52 (Olympic Record); Silver - Aleksey Spiridonov of Soviet Union with 76.08; Bronze - Anatoliy Bondarchuk of Soviet Union with 75.48.
Moscow 1980 Olympic Games
The men’s hammer throw at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Soviet Union had an entry list of 17 competitors from 13 nations, with one qualifying group before the final (12) took place on July 31, 1980. Top twelve and ties and all those reaching 72.00 metres advanced to the final. The maximum number of athletes per nation was set at 3.
The event was won by Yuriy Sedykh of the Soviet Union, repeating as Olympic champion. He was the eighth man to win multiple medals in the event and third to have at least two gold medals (John Flanagan had three). Just as in 1976, Sedykh led the Soviet team to a medal sweep, with Sergey Litvinov taking the silver and Juri Tamm, the bronze. The gold medal was the Soviet Union’s third consecutive and fifth overall in the men’s hammer throw, second all-time to the United States’ seven.
This was the 18th appearance of the event at Summer Olympics. Three of the 12 finalists from the 1976 Games returned: gold medallist Yuriy Sedykh of the Soviet Union, seventh-place finisher Chris Black of Great Britain, and twelfth-place finisher Peter Farmer of Australia. Sedykh was a heavy favourite to repeat. His teammates, Sergey Litvinov and Juri Tamm, were his biggest challengers. The most significant absence due to the American-led boycott was Karl-Hans Riehm of West Germany, who had been undefeated in 1979.
Cuba and Kuwait each made their debut in the event. Great Britain appeared for the 15th time, most by any nation competing but behind the United States’ 17 appearances.
The competition used the two-round format introduced in 1936, with the qualifying round separate from the divided final. In qualifying, each athlete received three attempts; those recording a mark of at least 72.00 metres advanced to the final.
The results of the qualifying round were then ignored. Finalists received three throws each, with the top eight competitors receiving an additional three attempts. The best distance among those six throws counted.
Prior to the competition, the existing world and Olympic records were: World Record - Sergey Litvinov (Soviet Union) with 81.66 in Sochi, Soviet Union on May 24, 1980; Olympic Record - Yuriy Sedykh (Soviet Union) with 77.52 in Montreal, Canada on July 28, 1976.
Yuriy Sedykh broke his own Olympic record in the qualifying round, throwing the hammer 78.22 metres. In the very first throw of the final, he broke the world record with 81.80 metres; this throw was not beaten during the competition. The top four athletes finished with better results than the old Olympic record.
Nine athletes received additional throws because of a tie at eighth place through the first three throws. Yuriy Sedykh had throws of 81.80 (World Record), 81.46, 79.68, 80.98 and 80.70. The Medallists; Gold - Yuriy Sedykh of Soviet Union with 81.80; Silver - Sergey Litvinov of Soviet Union with 80.64; Bronze - Juri Tamm of Soviet Union with 78.96.
Seoul 1988 Olympic Games
The men’s hammer throw at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea had an entry list of 30 competitors from 16 nations, with two qualifying groups before the final (12) took place on September 26, 1988. In the final round the eight highest-ranked competitors after three rounds qualified for the final three throws to decide the medals.
The event was won by Sergey Litvinov of the Soviet Union, the nation’s sixth victory in the event. The Soviet team completed the medal sweep, with Yuriy Sedykh taking silver and Juri Tamm the bronze. It was the Soviets’ third medal sweep in four Games, with only the boycotted 1984 Games missing.
The 1988 team was the same as the 1980 squad, with Litvinov and Sedykh trading places. Litvinov and Tamm were the ninth and tenth men to earn multiple medals in the hammer throw, while Sedykh became the fourth to win three medals; his two golds and a silver trailed only John Flanagan’s three gold medals in Olympic success.
This was the 20th appearance of the event, which has been held at every Summer Olympics except 1896. Four of the finalists from the 1984 Games returned: gold medallist Juha Tiainen and sixth-place finisher Harri Huhtala of Finland, and Christoph Sahner of West Germany and Matthew Mileham of Great Britain. Also returning were Soviets Yuriy Sedykh, Sergey Litvinov, and Juri Tamm, who had swept the medals (in that order) in 1980 but had been kept out of the 1984 Games due to the Soviet-led boycott.
Sedykh had also won gold in 1976. He and Litvinov had dominated the event since that year, with Sedykh winning two Olympic gold medals and Litvinov winning both World Championships to date (1983 and 1987). Tamm was also a serious contender; in addition to the 1980 bronze, he had finished second at the 1987 World Championship.
No nations made their debut in the event. The United States appeared for the 19th time, most by any nation, having missed only the boycotted 1980 Games. The competition used the two-round format introduced in 1936, with the qualifying round separate from the divided final.
In qualifying, each athlete received three attempts; those recording a mark of at least 77.00 metres advanced to the final. If fewer than twelve athletes achieved that distance, the top twelve would advance. The results of the qualifying round were then ignored. Finalists received three throws each, with the top eight competitors receiving an additional three attempts.
Prior to the competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows: World Record - Yuriy Sedykh (Soviet Union) with 86.74 at Stuttgart, West Germany on August 30, 1986; Olympic Record - Yuriy Sedykh (Soviet Union) with 81.80 in Moscow, Soviet Union on July 31, 1980.
Sergey Litvinov broke the Olympic record with his first throw in the final, of 84.76 metres, and improved on that with his fifth throw, of 84.80 metres. All six of Litvinov’s throws in the final surpassed the old record, as did four of Sedykh’s five legal marks.
The Medallists: Gold - Sergey Litvinov of the Soviet Union with 84.80 (Olympic Record); Silver - Yuriy Sedykh of Soviet Union with 83.76; Bronze - Juri Tamm of Soviet Union with 81.16.
Personal Life
Sedykh had two daughters who both followed him. Previously married to Soviet 100m hurdles Olympic champion Lyudmila Kondratyeva, their daughter Oksana Kondratyeva competed for Russia internationally.
He subsequently married former Soviet shot-putter and world-record holder Natalya Lisovskaya who won gold in the 1988 Olympics. They had one daughter, Alexia Sedykh, who came first in the girls’ hammer throw at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in Singapore.
Sedykh and his family moved to Paris, France, where he taught strength and conditioning at higher education level. Sedykh died in Pontoise, France on September 14, 2021, at the age of 66.
(The author is an Associate Professor, International Scholar, winner of Presidential Awards and multiple National Accolades for Academic pursuits. He possesses a PhD, MPhil and double MSc. His email is [email protected])